My mind swirled and my heart raced as I tried to figure out what in the hell was going on. I racked my mind but nothing made any sort of sense. There were two of those men in the hallway – not the ones who'd taken me. They were facing away from me, so I kept my eyes open long enough to keep watching what was going on.
But then one of them turned around and my heart nearly stopped in my chest. I promptly closed my eyes again, praying they didn't catch me with them open. I didn't want them knowing I was awake. There was a long, tense moment as I wondered if my ruse had worked – or whether they were going to come in and drag us out by the hair as well.
“These ones are still out,” the voice grumbled, this time in English. “The hunters went overboard with the stun shots. Humans aren't as hearty as Gevonians. Idiots should know that.”
“They should,” I heard another voice say. “But they don't care. They're getting paid so long as they turn up with the product still alive.”
“Makes our job twice as hard,” the first voice said. “We're transporters, not babysitters.”
“We are being paid well. Stop complaining,” the other voice growled. “And send somebody from medical in to make sure they're alive. If any of them do turn up dead, remove and destroy them.”
“Yes, sir,” the second voice said, the disdain readily apparent. “Right away, sir.”
“And lose the attitude, Berlith. I don't need it,” the first voice replied. “But since you're so surly today, make sure you toss some food in there with them. We would not want them to starve to death during transport.”
The figures retreated back down the hallway and were gone, leaving us alone. Some of the tension and fear that had been hovering in the air dissipated – slightly. There seemed to be a general understanding among all of the wide-eyed faces I saw that we were in real big trouble.
Nicole started sobbing, shaking violently as she did so. Sitting up, my first instinct was to comfort her. I reached out to embrace her, but she pushed me away.
“Just stop, okay? There's nothing anyone can do to make this better,” she said, wiping at her eyes, taking some of the mascara away with the tears. “This shit ain't right. It ain't right at all.”
I cleared my throat and sat back against the wall. I didn't know why I'd reached out for her. I wasn't ordinarily the nurturing type. Hard earned experience and a lot of bad things had formed a thick and hard shell around me. It protected me. Kept me safe and out of harm's way.
But maybe being caught up in all of this – madness – had loosened something within me. Had formed a crack in that tough outer shell, had released some long dormant instinct inside of me that sought to bring comfort and care to those who needed it.
Or maybe I just needed the human contact to make myself feel better. To ease some of my own fears.
“W – where did they take them?” a voice piped up from nearby. “And – what were they?”
A girl who looked no older than sixteen or seventeen was laying nearby. She had wide blue eyes, a thick mass of red hair, and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She looked like she should have been in school, or maybe babysitting somebody's kid – not locked in some cold, hard cell, held captive by things I wasn't even sure where human.
The girl looked at me, seeking comfort, seeking answers. Her eyes were open wide and filled with fear as she stared at me. What in the hell made her think I had answers to any of this? I was nobody.
“How in the hell am I supposed to know?” Nicole snapped. “All I know is they take 'em away and they never come back. At least, that's how it's been in the time I've been here – which ain't all that long, sweetheart.”
The girl was biting back tears and my heart went out to her. I couldn't help it. She looked like somebody's kid sister – somebody's absolutely terrified kid sister. I looked over at Nicole and pitched my voice low.
“Did you see what they pulled out of that cell across the corridor?” I asked softly.
Nicole nodded, fear in her eyes. “I sure did,” she said. “And they may sound female, but they didn't look like no human woman I ever seen.”
“Exactly,” I nodded. “But if they're not human woman – what are they?”
She snorted, a rueful grin touching her lips. “I ain't got no idea,” she said. “And I sure as hell don't want to find out. I just want to get the hell out of here and get my sweet ass back home.”
“You and me both, Nicole,” I said. “You and me both.”
I pushed myself slowly and laboriously to my feet. My body ached and my head was killing me, but I needed to start moving. Needed to start coming up with a plan to get – as Nicole put it – my sweet ass back home.
All eyes were on me as I walked toward the doorway I hadn't realized was a doorway. As I drew nearer to it, I could hear the hum of electricity and a slight crackling noise coming off of it. As I looked closer, I could see that there was an almost invisible field of energy stretched across the opening.
“Careful,” said a woman. “I saw somebody touch that once and it blew her back about ten feet. She was out cold, layin' in a puddle of her own filth for hours.”
I felt my eyes grow wide as I listened to the woman's story. “What is it?”
She shook her head. “Dunno,” she said. “But it's all bad. All bad.”
“Be careful,” Nicole called from behind me. “They mentioned bringing food, so they'll be back. And we have no idea when.”
With that invisible, electric forcefield – for lack of a better word – securing the doorway, it was hopeless. If you couldn't even touch it without getting knocked out, there was no way of getting through it that I could see. With a sigh, I sat back down on the ground, but turned toward Nicole.
“How long have you been here again? You seem to know a lot.”
She shrugged. “Like I said, I don't know for sure. What's the last day you remember?” she asked me. “The day you were taken?
“Wednesday the third.”
Nicole looked surprised. “So... I guess it's been about four days. I've been in here for four days now.”
My heart sank as I watched the look of resignation and defeat descend over her face. I wanted to tell her I was sorry, but again, the sound of footsteps in the corridor stopped me. Nicole heard them too and laid down, playing dead again. It was the only defense we really had and was something she'd obviously had to have done well in order to still be here four days later.
With no other real options open to me, I followed her lead.
The guard stood outside the cell. I opened my eyes slightly, just to get a look at him. Though he, and the people like him – the people who'd taken us all – were normally stone faced and showed no emotion, I could see the look of disgust on his face. Expressionless or not, just the way he stood and the air about him radiated his utter disdain for us. He carried a box with him – food, I assumed.
“Time to eat,” he called.
No one budged. There was a sound, a small electronic chirp and then the man – or whatever he was – was among us. He walked through the cell, stepping around and over the mass of women who were playing dead, silently hoping he'd just go away.
I closed my eyes as he passed me, but felt something hit me – food of some sort, probably. I didn't open my eyes to see what it was.
“Come on now, you can't pretend to be asleep forever,” the voice said, sounding as if it came from directly above us. “We know you're awake. And they'll come for you sooner or later, might as well not starve to death in the meantime.”
He laughed, a dry, brittle sound that sent shivers down my spine. He'd called us out on faking it. He knew. Of course, I figured it was only a matter of time. We couldn't pretend to be asleep forever. Finished with his rounds, the man walked back out of the cell and another chirp sounded. I assumed he was reactivating whatever forcefield was being used to keep us in that cell.
As soon as the guard was gone, Nicole broke down crying again. This time, I didn't bother to try to com
fort her. I just stared at the women in the cell with me, everyone shaking and scared.
And not a single one of us had any idea where we were at. Or what we were going to do.
Chapter Two
Tarkonil
This had to stop. Seeing those helpless women in cages like animal being dragged around by the hair and beaten before being sold on the auction block to the highest bidder was tearing me apart. I'd gone back to the bay several times during the following couple of weeks and every time, I encountered a transport bringing in another load of women.
Soran said I was getting reckless and I couldn't dispute that any longer. I'd gone so far as to pose as a bay worker just to get closer to them. To see if there were some way I could help break them out. As of yet, I had not been able to do anything. Nothing but stand and stare at them helplessly.
I couldn't get the sight of their faces out of my head – those eyes begging and pleading for help. The tears, the sobbing and wailing. Regardless of what planet they were from, they all had the same terrified and heartbreaking reactions to what was happening to them.
And my hands were tied. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't save them all, I couldn't even save one. The prices on their heads were far more than I had in my pocket. And besides, purchasing one of them would only put money in the pockets of those doing the deed and continue the sex slave trade I was working so hard and risking so much for to shut down.
No, it had to be stopped. But I knew I couldn't do this alone. It was too big for one man and I needed help in the worst way possible. Which was why I traveled back to Earth to visit Bazarok. I knew my friend was a good man. He loved Optorio and would never willingly stand by and allow for something like this to happen on his home world. I knew he wouldn't – even though he'd built a nice home and life for himself on Earth with his wife, Paige.
I knew he was the only person I could trust. Perhaps the only person who could help me in this. And being in love with a human himself, he would also probably have plenty of sympathy for their kind and be outraged by what was being done to them – more so than others back on my planet.
I stood on their front porch, anxiety coursing through my body as I tried to figure out the best way to explain myself and what I wanted from them. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, I just hoped that Baz would listen to me with an open mind and heart.
“These humans make a pill called Xanax,” Soran said. “It apparently helps with anxiety. Perhaps you should acquire some.”
“Perhaps I should acquire a new biosystems,” I said softly. “One who doesn't think they're funny.”
Making a concerted effort to ignore Soran, I knocked and it wasn't Baz who opened the door. It was Paige. I'd met her once before, though judging by the look on her face, she didn't remember me. But I could see why Baz had fallen for her. She was beautiful.
“Yes?” she said.
“I'm here to see Baz,” I said softly as I tried to give her a small smile. “I'm an old friend of his.”
She cocked her head and looked slightly concerned – probably because many of Baz's old friends weren't human. And if she guessed I wasn't human – which, judging by the guarded look in her eyes – she'd be right about that.
Baz always said she was incredibly sharp.
“A friend?” she said, biting her lip and looking more concerned by the second.
“It's okay, I – ”
Paige looked behind me – and then behind her, the expression on her face outright worried. She seemed to be wondering whether or not she should go and grab her husband.
“I'm sorry,” she said. “He just never mentioned any friends coming by.”
“He's not expecting me. And I'm terribly sorry to drop in unannounced like this,” I said. “But just tell him it's Tarkonil. It's okay, I can wait. Out here, of course.”
Paige gave me a long look and then scanned the land behind me before she closed and latched the door. I supposed I couldn't blame her given everything she'd gone through at the hands of my kind – both here and back on my home planet. And considering what they were doing to her kind now, I definitely couldn't blame her for being suspicious and on guard. She, of course, didn't have any idea what was going on right now, but still. I wouldn't trust me or any other Optorion at the moment either.
A few moments later, I heard footsteps quickly approaching just before the door opened again. I had to admit to feeling something like joy upon seeing my old friend Baz standing there. He looked at me, a wide smile plastered on his pale, white face.
Paige stood just behind him, watching me warily from over his shoulder.
“Tarkonil, my old friend!” he said, pulling me into a hug. “What a wonderful surprise. Come on, come inside. You've met Paige already, I presume?”
“Briefly,” I said, not bothering to mention we'd met once before. “She seemed to be a bit terrified of me to be honest. Not that I blame her. I'm sure it's still taking some getting used to – the whole beings from other worlds thing.”
“No, of course not,” he said. “But Paige, this is Tarkonil, he's one of the good guys, I promise. One of my good friends and the reason I was able to get back and save you. I'd dare say without Tarkonil, there would be no us.”
She smiled, a friendly smile and her entire demeanor changed. No longer suspicious and wary, instead, she seemed to exude a warmth and welcoming grace I was thankful for. What I had to say was going to be difficult enough without having to face the open hostility of somebody's wife.
Baz ushered me inside and took me to the back deck of his home. There, he sat me down and let me bathe in the sunshine – and I had to admit, the warmth felt nice upon my skin. The sun on Optorio was never something I cared for too much. It was usually too hot for my liking. But here on Earth, with the light pouring down over me and the scent of the sea in the air – I could see why Baz had been so insistent on making a life here.
“Can I get you something to drink? Something to eat, perhaps?” Baz asked. “I know your journey was a long one.”
I shook my head. “No, I'm fine. But thank you.”
Baz nodded and sat down in the seat next to me and Paige pulled a chair next to him and sat down. They leaned forward and I could feel the weight of their eyes upon me. It was as if they both knew my presence there did not herald good news and they were waiting for – to use a human phrase – the other shoe to drop.
“So what brings you here, my old friend?” Baz asked.
I looked around at the deep forest that ran behind his home. It was dark and foreboding – and yet, charming at the same time. We did not have forests like these on Optorio and I recalled that on my earlier brief visit to this planet that I had been awestruck by the sheer size and depth of it. That feeling had not abated in my time away from this world.
“Well, it's a long story, Baz,” I said, glancing back at Paige. I really didn't want her hearing what I had to say.
As if she could read my expression and didn't want to hear what I had to say any more than I wanted her to hear it, Paige excused herself.
“You know, I have some errands to run,” she said, standing up suddenly. “Need anything at the store, sweetie?”
“No, nothing I can think of,” Baz said, standing up to kiss his lovely wife goodbye. “But thank you.”
They had such a simple life there on Earth – and they seemed very happy. I knew all too well that there was some appeal to a simple life. Especially for a man like Baz who had never taken the whole royalty thing anyway. The life he'd carved out with Paige was more relaxed. There was less pressure and he didn't have to make big, important decisions that affected his people. It was a job he'd never felt qualified for and one he never believed he'd measure up to. His biggest decision anymore was what they were going to have for dinner on any given night, more than likely. And that seemed to suit him. He seemed to have found his peace and happiness.
Yeah, I could certainly see the appeal in that. And for that, I was not only happy for him, but envio
us of him.
“So what's up?” Baz asked, leaning back in his chair, an inquisitive look on his face. “You seem – tense.”
I hated to bring him into this mess, but it had to be done. I had no allies and no other alternatives. So I took a deep breath and tried to explain it as succinctly as possible, without leaving anything of importance out of my story. And the more I said, the wider his eyes grew. A look of disbelief crossed his face – which was followed by one of anger.
But Baz being Baz, he contained his emotions and he quieted down his anger, putting on an air of thoughtful neutrality once more. Though he'd never admit it, there was more of that regal bearing in him than he ever believed.
“And you believe they're selling these women? As sex slaves?” Baz asked, scratching his chin. “But why? There are plenty of women on Optorio to go around. Prostitutes as well. Why humans?”
“Why not?” I said. “And it's not just humans, Baz. It's women from any number of planets. There's just something exotic and maybe a little taboo about a new species that some men are just – drawn to. And other men, knowing this, are making a very lucrative business out of it.”
Baz sat back in his seat and rubbed the bridge of his nose – a very human gesture I'd never seen him make before. In a way, it was interesting to see him changing the more time he spent on Earth. But it also made me a little sad since the man I knew, my friend, was becoming somebody else. Would I even recognize him when his transformation was complete?
“I can tell by the way you're looking at me that you think this is my fault.” Baz actually seemed a little offended.
I sighed. “It's not your fault, Baz. Not really,” I said. “But in a way, it is. You exposed Optorio to a human woman for the first time. They're so much like us, unlike some other species, and yet so different in ways that our kind find attractive. Humans are a novelty now. And given that our king gave up his throne for a human, now some want to see what the fuss is all about.”
Mated to a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 3) Page 34